WP Smush - Complete Description
Category: Productivity • Platform: WordPress Plugin
🖼️ Smush: The #1 Image Optimization Plugin for WordPress
Smush is the leading, award-winning image optimization plugin, trusted by over 1 million worldwide. Developed by WPMU DEV, Smush helps optimize, resize, and compress images, and can convert images to next-gen formats (WebP/AVIF) for significantly faster web pages and improved Google PageSpeed Insights scores.
✨ Core Features & The Smush Difference
Smush offers a comprehensive set of features to improve website performance and visitor experience by handling image files efficiently.
| Feature | Description | Free / Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Lossless Compression (Basic Smush) | Strips unused data and compresses images without a visible quality drop. | Free |
| Lossy Compression (Super Smush) | Cutting-edge, multi-pass compression for up to 2x more optimization than lossless. | Free |
| Ultra Smush | 5x image compressing power for maximum speed while preserving quality. | Pro Only |
| Built-In Lazy Loading | Defers loading of offscreen images & videos with the flip of a switch. | Free |
| Convert to WebP or AVIF | Automatically serves images in next-gen WebP or AVIF format (with necessary fallbacks). | Pro Only |
| Preload Critical Images | Automatically preloads Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) images to improve PageSpeed scores. | Pro Only |
| Bulk Smush | Optimize and compress images in bulk with one click. | Free |
| Background Optimization | Optimization continues to run even when the plugin is closed (you receive an email report). | Pro Only |
| Automatic Resizing | Automatically resizes images to fit their containers, eliminating "Properly size images" PageSpeed warnings. | Pro Only |
| Resize Larger Images | Sets max width/height for uploaded images to ensure browser intelligence. | Free |
| 119-point Global CDN | Ensures blazing-fast image delivery worldwide, including automatic WebP/AVIF conversion and image resizing. | Pro Only |
| Directory Smush | Optimizes images even if they are not in the default WordPress media library (e.g., NextGEN, WP Offload Media). | Free |
| Incorrect Image Size Detection | Quickly locates images that are slowing down your site with smart tips for resizing. | Free |
| No Monthly Limits | Optimize all images (up to 5 MB in size) free forever. | Free |
| No Performance Impact on Server | Optimization is run using the fast, reliable WPMU DEV Smush API, not your local server resources. | Free |
🚀 Next-Gen Formats (WebP & AVIF)
- Benefit: These formats enable superior image compression and quality retention, significantly impacting visitor experience and Google PageSpeed Insights scores.
- WebP: Lossless images are 26% smaller than PNGs; lossy images are 25-34% smaller than comparable JPGs.
- AVIF: Images are up to 60% smaller than comparable JPG or PNG images.
- Smush Implementation (Pro): The Next-Gen Formats feature makes conversion easy, automatically replacing PNG and JPEG images on the frontend to serve WebP or AVIF images with local hosting and necessary browser fallbacks.
🌐 Compatibility & Workflow
- Compatibility: Works seamlessly with popular themes, page builders (Avada Fusion Builder), and media library plugins (WP All Import, NextGen Gallery, WP Offload Media, etc.).
- Multisite: Supports optimization across the entire network using global settings or individual site configuration.
- Configs: Allows users to save their preferred Smush settings as a Config and instantly upload them to other sites to save time.
🛡️ Privacy and Credits
- Privacy: Smush does not interact with end-users. It sends images to WPMU DEV servers for optimization, including the transfer of EXIF data, which is either stripped or returned, but not stored on their servers.
- Credits: The plugin is now owned and maintained by the WPMU DEV team.
